BT names next fibre areas

BT has announced its next move in its fibre-optic broadband network roll-out by naming the areas which will next have their telephone exchanges upgraded.

The 69 exchanges are largely in urban areas – 11 in London – though some rural areas also get a look-in.

In Northern Ireland, only the Lisburn exchange is to be upgraded for the moment and the four exchanges in Scotland cited in the plans are based in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Three Welsh exchanges - Barry, Caerphilly and Penarth – will have fibre-optic technology installed in this phase of the roll-out.

BT's next fibre exchanges - full list

BT said that its fibre roll-out was ahead of schedule and would have 1.5 million homes within range of the network by summer next year.

BT's ultimate plan is to reach 10 million homes by 2012.

Steve Robertson, chief executive of BT Openreach, the division of BT responsible for the roll-out said: "Fibre is the future and so we’re speeding up the pace of our plans.

"We had aimed to get fibre to half a million homes by next March but we’re now being far more ambitious. We’ve received a tremendous response to date and so we’re keen to get on with the job," he continued.

Rival ISP Virgin Media said that many UK citizens could already get fibre broadband if they wished.

"People in the UK do not have to wait for BT. Virgin Media already offers the fastest broadband in the country with its ultrafast 50Mb service," a Virgin spokeswoman said.

"By the end of this summer we will have completed our next generation roll out to 12.5 million homes and we’re already piloting 200Mb. We’ve been saying for years that fibre optic broadband is the future," the spokeswoman continued.